Golf-ball tee



1' i ll INVENTOR. Poerz E Lama A TTORNE Y.

Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

v UNITED STATES PATENT o cE.

GOLF-BALL TEE.

Application filed December 27, 1927. Serial No. 242,814.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in means for supporting a golf ball in a driving position, and is commonly referred to as a golf tee.

a The primary object/of the invention is to provide a new and useful golf tee having structural characteristics adapted to prevent the tee from being easily broken 1f the driving club happens to strike the tee III the in making of the drive.

A further object is to provide a golf tee which, when forced into the ground, will become more firmly anchored than the ordinary tee, and thus not easily displaced 1f touched it by the club in the makin of the drlve.

A further object resi es in the provision of a golf tee having movable means in connection with the ground piercing portion thereof which is retracted in forcing thetee so into the ground, and which diverges in witlidrawing the tee from the ground in a manner to grip the ground and prevent the tee from being easily displaced if struck by the club, thereby greatly minimizing lost tees, as well as as time spent in looking for tees driven nto long grass, or at a distance from'the original position of thetee, as obtainsto a great extent by the use of the conventional tees now on the market.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth,

described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawing may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the Spirit of the mvention,

' In the drawing Figure l is a viewin elevation of the improved tee,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, showing the normal relation of the parts. Figure 3 is a similar view showing the position assumed by the parts when the tee is forced into the ground. i

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 1 designates a pin, preferably of metal, and tapered at 2 to provide a point for easy insertion of the same into the ground. The pin is preferably round in cross section, though any other suitable, form may be used, and is provided with an annular groove 3 for a purpose to be presently explained. ecured to the pin 1 is a flexible body member 4, preferably of rubber, which,

member is provided with a longitudinal bore 5 at one end thereof in which the pin 1 is. received, and below the lower end of which the pointed portion of the pin, 1 extends. The body member is provided with an annular integral bead 6 within the bore 5 thereof, which bead is adapted to engage and become seated in the annular groove 3 of the pin 1, thus detachably securing the pin and body member together, which connection is readily made because of the resiliency of the body, and which permits the metal pin to be indefinitely used by simply supplying it with new rubber body members as the old body members become damaged in the course of time under the. blows of the golf club. As shown, the body member is provided with an enlarged head portion 7 which is concaved on its upper face to provide a seat for a golf ball. Formed integral with the resilient body member 4 is it an annular web 8, disposed so that the same will enter the ground in forcing the tee to place therein and ,in doing which the web will yield, due to the resistance of the ground, and will assume a position embracing the body memher, as shown in Figure 3, in which position the web will be disposed upwardly. It will thus be seen that in such position the edge 9 of the web will present a resistance to t earth above the same, and upon the tee being struck by the golf club, which ordinarily would drive the tee from its engagement with the ground, will cause the web to flex outwardly and thus efiect a more firm grip. or anchorage with the ground, and thereby greatly minimize the loss of tees, which frequently occurs with the use of ordinary tees by being displaced by the blow of the club and driven a distance which makes it laborious .to find in many cases, especially when the tee happens to be driven into long grass.

It will thus be'seen from the foregoing, that, due to the flexibility of the body member 4, the same will yield upon being struck by the club, as shown ,in dotted lines in Figure 3, and will thus not materially interfere with the force or effectiveness of the swing of the club. Also, due to the means described for more firmly anchoring the tee in the ground, a material economic advantage is obtained in that the loss and breakage of tees is reduced to a minimum, and less time will be consumed in looking for tees displaced from the ground because of the less liability. of the same being driven any considerable distance when so dlsplaced.

Havin thus set forth what is new and useful, w at is claimed is 1. A golf ball support comprising a pin tapered at one end, and a resilient body member mounted on said pin, saidbody member carrying means adapted to yield when forced into the ground and to spread against withdrawal of the pin from the ground. 7

2. A golf ball support comprising a pin tapered at one end, and a resilient body member mounted on said pin, saidbody member carr ing a flexible fin.

3. A golf ball su port comprising a pin tapered at one en and a resilient body member mounted on said pin, said body member having a resilient fin integrally formed therewith.

4.'A golf ball support comprising a pin tapered at one end, and a resilient body member mounted thereon, said body member having an integrally formed flexible annular fin extending laterally therefrom.

5. The combination with a golf ball support, of inherently resilient means carried by said support adapted to yield upon insertion of the support into the ground and to spread upon withdrawal of the support from the ground.

Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT R. LUNDY. 

